FT RACA 1 PARK VIEW ACADEMY 0 (Attendance 190)
Albion ended Park View’s hope of an eighth straight league win with a hard fought 1-0 victory in which dogged defences were on top. A first half Louis Calvert strike, the fifth consecutive game in which he has scored, was the difference in this tight match, where the players on both side gave their all
MATCH SUMMARY
Fourth placed Park View Academy were Albion’s belated first-footers to the Oldhaulage Stadium & came in fine league form at least, boasting seven straight division two victories, although they were beaten 0-3 in midweek by West Auckland in the League Cup.
Nathan Beckham was forced into one change from the starting eleven who won at Seaham, with the injured Callum Johnston replaced by Albe Fletcher & Rhys McLeod taking Fletcher’s place on the bench.
In a game punctuated by goalmouth scrambles, the first one occurred in the Ryton box in the 3rd minute when a Michael Mallaburn free kick saw close range efforts from Ben Gallacher and Dylan Wilkinson blocked by the feet of keeper Callum Corkhill and the Albion defence respectively. The defining moment of the game came on 21 minutes when Corkhill launched a kick upfield, the bounce deceiving defender Bradley Hughes but not Louis Calvert who raced towards the Park View goal and slotted home past keeper James Hughes who had come out to try and narrow the angle. Despite the visitors’ protestations that Calvert was offside, referee Robert Cowan awarded the goal and Albion were ahead. Park View were denied a leveller following a 40th minute scramble in the RACA penalty area, this time Jamie Frizzel and Stephen Siyanbola were the men denied by dogged defending on this occasion & Albion went into the interval with their lead intact.
HT RACA 1 Park View Academy 0
The second half saw the visitors press further forward as the surface began to cut up badly, but while there was a dearth of significant goalmouth action, there was no shortage of commitment as both sides gave their all. Ryton created a half chance following a swift break from Louis Anderson and Rhys McLeod on 71 minutes, Anderson laying the ball wide to McLeod whose shot whistled across the box ,but out for a goal kick. Another Albion break on 76 minutes saw Nathan Beesley power up the right wing & he unleashed a low drive that Hughes saved with an outstretched leg. Three minutes later and a similar break saw McLeod and Morgan Dart combine, the latter shooting around a yard wide of the Park View far post. As the Academy pressed for an equaliser, they had a golden chance on 82 minutes when Charlie Loveday found the unmarked Siyanbola three yards out, but the Park View top scorer had a head in hands moment as he produced a fresh air shot. Seconds later Gallagher got his effort on target but Corkhill smothered the shot comfortably, & despite the late pressure RACA didn’t look like conceding & kept up the impressive start to 2026.
FT RACA 1 PARK VIEW ACADEMY 0
Albion go five games unbeaten but remain in 8th while Park View drop to 7th as the latest results mean it’s all change in the play off positions.
RACA- Corkhill, Beesley, Oldfield, Lynch, Hayton, Caygill, Lawson, Dart (Driver), Anderson, Fletcher (Skivington 79), Calvert (McLeod). Substitutes Not Used Bailey, Hyde
Saturday’s Other Division 2 Results
AFC Newbiggin 0 Durham United 1 (Kay)
Billingham Town 3 (Watt 3) FC Hartlepool 1 (Bayes)
Chester-le-Street Town 5 (Greenwood, Robson 2 Marriott, Munro) Grangetown Boys Club 1 (Martin)
Darlington Town 2 (Brown, McCowie) Tow Law Town 0
Esh Winning 0 Boldon CA 2 (Cowburn, Gateshill)
Prudhoe YC Seniors 0 Jarrow FC 3 (OG, Dalton, Bisset)
Redcar Town 2 (Carmichael, Gott) Alnwick Town 3 (Agostinho, OG, Bright)
Seaham Red Star 0 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 3 (Atkinson 2, Jones)
Sunderland West End 0 Newcastle University 2 (Morris, Pow)